Kendrick: Case of the Drama Queen
by The Lori C
Summary: When faded Hollywood actress Lily Schaad is found murdered during rehearsal for a theater production, her assistant Ryan is the initial suspect who hires Brian to defend him at his murder trial.
1. Summary

**Summary:**

When faded Hollywood actress Lily Schaad is found murdered during rehearsal for a theater production, her assistant Ryan is the initial suspect who hires Brian to defend him at his murder trial. Brian and his loyal secretary, Lori, along with others, work hard to help clear Ryan's name and expose Lily's real killer.

_I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the old Perry Mason television series and subsequent movies that followed it for years after the series ended. Since __**Exiled: Kendrick's Story**__ appeared to be such a success, I wanted to try a new crime drama angle story once again, this time the main character as a defense attorney, Perry Mason style, but with more modern resources and twists. With that, I present __**Kendrick: Case of the Drama Queen**_


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"RYAN!" Lily Schaad screeched "My God, where is that man? Can't find good help anymore, not like the old days. RYAN!"

Ryan Buckingham came into the room where his legendary boss sat. "Yes, ma'am?"

"I asked for my coffee fifteen minutes ago. Where is it? And I also specifically stated in my contract that I am to have fresh flowers in my dressing room each evening. Please tell whoever is in charge to get something right for once. Now get my coffee!"

"Yes, ma'am. I will be back with it shortly."

Once out of her earshot, he gave an annoyed sigh. If his mother hadn't been so ill and their father had died penniless, Ryan would have been running his father's theater supply company. Instead, the company had gone bankrupt and Ryan had ended up being one step above a slave for a Hollywood has-been reduced to doing theater and bit parts in B movies and awful TV shows.

Perhaps he should spike her coffee; Lily was a lot easier to deal with when she was drunk.

As he fixed the coffee, Ryan couldn't help but wonder if the old rumors about Lily had been true. She'd never married, but had been a beautiful woman in her day. Most of her male escorts had been revealed as gay or bisexual in later years, hence the whispers of Lily being a professional "fag hag."

Still, she had been a major star during the 1950's through the 70's, and even the biggest rumor couldn't drag Lily or her star down in her day.

But age, drinking, late nights, and excessive smoking had faded Lily's beauty, though her outstanding talent remained strong. She wasn't broke–unlike many starlets in her day, Lily had invested and saved intelligently–and still lived in her famous pink round house near Venice Beach as well as had a splendid condo in New York.

Even with her strong work ethic in what little remained of her career, Ryan couldn't help but notice that Lily couldn't keep help very long. He had been her seventh assistant in ten years, and so far, had lasted the longest, being with Lily almost eighteen months. He had seen her fire maids over the smallest of infractions and Ryan did his best to comply with Lily's demands–no matter how outrageous or ridiculous he personally found them–not causing and trouble or fuss, and keeping a smile planted on his face when the need arose.

Little did Ryan know, however, no matter how much Lily seemed to berate him at times, she adored the young man. He had good manners, not like many young people today. He always listened to her problems when everyone else just saw her as some crazy, boring old woman.

When her greedy agent had pushed for her to do a reality show, which seemed that many other past celebrities had done for quick cash, it had been Ryan who talked Lily out of it, saying she was too talented and too much of a legend to stoop to such a thing. Instead, it had been he who had talked her into doing theater, particularly this play. The exposure she would get would be tremendous, and new generations would indeed witness the greatness that was Lily Schaad. She had been grateful to Ryan for that.

Ryan was the son she never had, and Lily vowed if anything should happen to her, she would make sure he was taken care of for the rest of his life. Ryan hadn't had many good breaks in the last several years, and Lily thought it was damn well time for that to change.

With that in mind, she had made him the beneficiary of her life insurance policy as well as left him everything in her will.

_Meanwhile:_

Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Paul London was preoccupied with the body before him, a surfer who had succumbed to a shark attack. He had just been in the middle of the autopsy when Brian came in.

"Hey, Doc," Brian clapped him on the back. "Working hard or hardly working?"

"Hey, Mr. Big Time Defense Attorney," Paul grinned, looking up. "Congrats on your latest case. I never thought you'd pull that one off."

"Neither did Helen," Brian grinned back. Helen was Helen Krenn, a prosecutor Brian had opposed many times in the courtroom. "But guess what, both of you were wrong."

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in." Paul went back to work on the body.

"Anyway, Cindy said you had something for me for one of my present cases."

Paul nodded toward his desk. "Yeah. Results on that exhumed body; a lot of things in there that may pique your interest and get yet another one of your clients an acquittal. They're on my desk. I'd get it for you, but," he held up his bloody gloved hands, "I'm a bit occupied at the moment."

The sight made Brian cringe. "Sometimes I think you do that on purpose. Don't worry, I can get it myself and be on my way while you have fun with your new friend over there. What happened with them?"

"Shark attack," Paul replied nonchalantly. "It's that time of the year."

"Jesus. And you wonder why I don't go past the shore when I go to the ocean." He pointed toward the body. "That's one fine example right there."

"Yeah, well I guess baby boy here didn't have much sense to boogie out of there quick enough and became fish food. Shit, I hate doing these kinds of cases, Bri. Young kids surfing, swimming, going around on motorcycles like the hounds of hell are after them, driving their cars while drunk out of their minds, acting like they're going to live forever without even any thought to their safety or anyone else's."

"Now you know why I went to law school. That and blood and guts aren't exactly my things, to say the least."

Paul held up the bloody gloved hands again. "I noticed."

"Will you knock it off?"

Paul gave a chuckle, going back to his work on the body. Brian shook his head, picking up the file he needed before heading back to the office. It had been a long day.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You've finally returned," Lori said cheerfully as she put down a mug of coffee shortly after Brian had returned to the office. "I guess winning such a big case doesn't afford you the luxury of taking the rest of the day off and basking in your victory?"

"You have been with me long enough to know that, Lor," he grinned, taking a file from her. "I never rest on my laurels; one is only as good as their last case. What's this?"

"DNA evidence from the lab. Shelly brought those back while you were in court earlier. You may want to look them over."

"Wouldn't by any chance have anything to do with that cold case that was reopened, would it? If so, this is my lucky day. Doctor Paul just sent me back with the autopsy results from that exhumed body."

"That's the one," Lori nodded. "but surely you really don't think the daughter would be capable of such a thing, do you?"

"The main reason I took the case," Brian said. "I have plenty of reason to believe Penny didn't do it. Not back then, and certainly not now."

"Still, it was generous of you to defend her _pro bono," _Lori smiled. "You don't exactly do that for everyone."

"Speaking of not doing things for everyone," he replied, "Cinder gave me some extra theater tickets for a show tomorrow night. It has some old time actress in it, a Lily Schaad?"

"Yes!" Lori exclaimed. "My mother was a fan of hers and I've seen just about all of Lily's old movies myself. But what brought that up?"

"I have another ticket and no one to go with me. Do you have any plans for tomorrow night?"

"I'll keep my calendar wide open, boss. Right now, I need to answer the phone out front."

_Meanwhile:_

"This lighting is _dreadful," _Lily complained. "I need something that is going to compliment me during this scene. It is much too bright!"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Schaad, but it is the best we can do on this show's budget," the lighting director responded while not trying to roll his eyes. _Did this woman think she was still on a Hollywood soundstage instead of a theater?_

"Really, if you're going to do a show with a major name, young man, no matter what the budget is, you work around it to find ideal lighting! Do you have any idea who I am and how many pictures I've done? And in my day, the help did not sass!"

_Lady, we're in the 2000's, not the 1950's, in case you forgot, _the lighting director thought.

"Lily, dear," her agent comforted her. "We'll see that this is corrected somehow before the show opens. I will see to it personally."

"Thank you, Arthur," she said. "I'm glad someone around here besides Ryan knows what they're doing, though I even wonder about you sometimes."

"Let's take a ten minute breather," the show's director suggested. "We can pick up your next scene afterwards, Ms. Schaad."

"Finally, a break from this atrocity," Lily sniffed as Ryan handed her a drink. "Thank you, darling," she said to him appreciatively.

"You're welcome, ma'am. There are also fresh roses in your dressing room. Will there be anything else?" Ryan asked.

"Not now, darling. You're dismissed."

_Dismissed? _The rest of the crew looked at each other. _How did that poor guy stand being treated that way?, _they wondered.

But Ryan only nodded wordlessly, taking his leave as usual, checking to make sure his phone was on should Lily need him right away for anything. No matter how much of a pain in the ass she was, a job was a job, and Ryan vowed to do his well.

_A short time later:_

"Wait," Shelly looked up from her desk, "after all this time you've worked for him and had been at his beck and call, the boss finally asked you for a date?"

"I wouldn't call it a date, Shell," Lori answered. "He had an extra ticket to a play tomorrow night and wanted me to go. I'm sure it's common knowledge by now that Brian and I have established a good friendship."

"Oh I'm sure," Shelly smiled knowingly.

"Don't read into more that what it is," Lori warned. "The man is in a position where he can have just about any beautiful damsel he wishes if he wanted to date, but the only thing Brian is willing to make a commitment to is his work."

"Such as this digging an old body out of the ground to prove a girl didn't poison her own father," Shelly nodded.

"That's just one of them," Lori replied.

"But why bring this up almost thirty years later? From what I understand, Penny and her father were close and she was devastated when he died."

"Which makes this Brian's kind of case and why he took it. Between you and me, I'm guessing it's a personal vendetta on behalf of the man's sister after she'd gotten hold of an old autopsy report somehow."

"I will never guess some people's motives." Shelly shook her head.

"Me neither," Lori said. "And with people like Cinder surrounded by modern technology and Dr. Paul's love of digging into the dead for answers, I'd say Penny will be in good hands, especially if Brian could get someone acquitted today just on one note written by the _victim."_

"Yeah, imagine that. I bet Helen Krenn is steaming over that one. I'm sure she thought that one was in the bag."

"If that's the case and as many times she's faced Brian in court," Lori answered, "then she still doesn't know him very well."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Third day of rehearsals:_

"Has anyone seen Lily?" the director asked. "We can't go over this scene if she isn't here."

Everyone shook their heads.

"Arthur? Any word from your illustrious client?"

The agent shook his head. Lily could be a prima donna about a lot of things, but her being late to a rehearsal was almost unheard of. She took each job seriously–sometimes a little _too _seriously.

"I'll have Lily's assistant hunt her down. It seems Ryan knows more about my client these days than I do."

"Well, get moving. We're already behind as it is and we open tomorrow night. In the meantime, where's her understudy?"

"Right here, sir," a middle aged, brunette actress replied.

"Good, at least someone is dependable today. All right, people, from the top."

_A few minutes later:_

"Ryan!"

"Mr. Anders," Ryan said, turning in the direction of Lily's agent. "What can I do for you?"

"Have you seen Lily? She isn't here at rehearsals."

Ryan was stunned. "That can't be possible. She left home two hours ago, saying she was going for breakfast and then straight here and would catch up with me right before rehearsals. As a matter of fact, the last time I saw her was in her dressing room about forty five minutes ago."

"That was forty five minutes ago. She's not answering her phone now and I checked her dressing room. She isn't there. This isn't Lily at all."

"I know, sir. I'll see if I can find her, and if I do, I will get you right away."

"I appreciate that, Ryan. Lily's driven everyone crazy enough as it is, but this isn't the time for her to pull a disappearing act. Keep me posted."

Ryan nodded, now frantically wondering where his eceentric employer could be as he began the task of hunting down Lily.

_Meanwhile:_

"_Ciao, bella," _the voice on the other end of the phone said cheerfully when Lori picked up.

"And _buenos dias _to you too, Doctor," she replied, recognizing Paul right off. "What can we do for you today?"

"Is your boss around? I may have finally caught up on my case load at the morgue and wondered if he was free for lunch later."

Lori peered through her copy of Brian's calendar on her desk. "Oh, dear, looks like some bad timing," she replied. "Brian's in court today on the Penny Crawford case."

"Oh Jesus, that's right!" Paul exclaimed. "Good thing you said something; I have to testify in that case at two o'clock as an expert witness. Once again, Lor, you saved my ass."

"You've been around the dead way too long, Doctor," she chuckled. "You really should be around us living more often so you won't forget things so easily."

"Yeah, honestly. Brian would have had my head on a platter for sure if I hadn't shown up there today."

"He wouldn't have been the only one. Shelly and Cindy would also be having a death warrant out for you, considering they also busted their behinds on this case."

"Right. Anyway, I'll just catch up with him after court. Say, speaking of which, Shell says you and the boss have a hot date tomorrow night."

"Oh, for crying out loud. It isn't a 'date', we're just going to the theater. He had an extra ticket."

"Since when does Brian do theater?" Paul asked, laughing.

"Since someone at the box office who is a friend of Cindy's gave her some comps. She had a few extras and gave two to Brian. And it's the new show with Lily Schaad starring."

"Who?"

"Lily Schaad. She was a very big Hollywood name back in the earlier film days, so to speak. Honestly, Doctor, get out of the morgue more often."

"Perhaps I should. The only drawback of the dead is they don't respond when you talk to them. Anyway, thanks again."

Lori hung up and shook her head, chuckling. _That man would forget his head if it weren't attached to his shoulders, _she thought.

How he and Brian ended up friends was beyond her comprehension; nevertheless, in some cases, it didn't hurt having the Chief Medical Examiner being so well connected to her boss.

_Backstage at the theater:_

"Ms. Schaad?" Ryan called out. "Lily?"

He had been searching rooms and calling her name for the last twenty minutes, with no response. Ryan's worries grew, wondering if Lily had indeed walked off the show without a word to anyone, even him. She had been difficult, more so than usual, during the entire rehearsals.

_No, _Ryan shook his head. _Even if she hated this show, she would have said something about leaving. More so, Lily wouldn't break a contract without good reason._

"Lily?" he called out again. "Rehearsals have started and Arthur is looking for you."

He came toward a room that appeared to be a costume area. Walking in, Ryan looked around.

There lay his boss, drenched in blood, a knife beside her. Unbeknown to him, Lily was long dead.

_Several hours later:_

"We find the defendant, Penelope Crawford, not guilty," the jury foreman announced.

The tiny redhead turned to embrace Brian. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed. "I think you and your team were the only people who had faith in me."

"There were a lot of things that didn't add up, Penny," Brian responded. "It was just a matter of filling the gaps. Now you can go home to your family and put this whole thing behind you once and for all."

"Yes," she nodded. "Finally, after thirty years, I can. No more speculations. And Daddy can finally rest in peace too. How can I repay you?"

"By getting on with your life and loving those kids," Brian winked.

Penny smiled back before joining her family, being enveloped in hugs.

Brian turned to Paul, who had approached him. "And I'm shocked you remembered to show up today."

"Um…let's just say your loyal secretary reminded me."

"I should have known Lori was behind this. Well, my friend, once again, your expert knowledge helped me wrap up another trial."

"Glad to oblige. Free for dinner?"

"Always, my friend," Brian grinned widely. "Always."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Guess you won't be going to the theater tomorrow night, huh?" Cinder asked.

"What are you talking about?" Brian wondered. "I haven't changed my plans."

"I'm guessing you hadn't heard," Lori said. "It's been all over the news, but since you haven't gotten back until now, the show has been postponed. Lily Schaad was found murdered at the theater."

"What?"

"Shell, turn on the TV," Lori instructed the investigator. "They should still have some coverage on it."

Shelly nodded, flipping on the TV, where Lily's murder was indeed the lead story. "Looks like there's an update too. We're just in time."

"An arrest has been made in the murder of actress Lily Schaad," the reporter spoke. "A statement released by police moments ago has stated that Ms. Schaad's assistant, Ryan Buckingham, has been taken into custody as the prime suspect in her death…."

Cinder went pale, something that Lori didn't fail to notice. "What's the matter?"

"Ryan Buckingham," Cinder replied. "I went to college with Ryan. He was a nice, quiet guy whose dad had this theatrical supply company that went bankrupt when he died. I had no idea Ryan was working for someone, let alone someone of Lily Schaad's caliber."

"From what I hear, she went through a lot of help," Shelly chimed in. "A _lot. _I guess she was a real pain to work for."

"Still, the Ryan I knew wouldn't be capable of something like this. He doesn't have a violent bone in his body. Besides, what would he have to gain by killing his own boss?"

"I guess the detectives think something," Brian said thoughtfully. "Wonder if the boy has an attorney yet?"

"Brian, are you thinking of taking this case?" Lori asked.

"It's exactly the kind I can sink my teeth into, Lor," he nodded. "And I'm sure this kid would want someone to defend him that isn't out to make headlines, but to concentrate on getting him a fair trial. So yes, I'd like to meet this Mr. Buckingham, especially if Cindy here already knows him."

"I don't think Ryan made that kind of money as a personal assistant, boss," Shelly pointed out.

"This isn't about my fee, Shell," Brian replied. "If I could have defended Penny Crawford _pro bono_, this man can also have that benefit if the need arises."

"Brian, you are far too generous!" Cinder hugged him. "Anyway, guys, I have to get back to the lab. Chances are good evidence from this is coming in and I'll probably get called on to examine some of it."

"That reminds me," Brian said. "I should stop by the ME's office. By now I'm guessing Doc should have the body. Maybe he could shed some light on what's happening."

"Provided his own head is still attached to his body," Lori cracked, noting Paul's occasional absent-mindedness.

"One thing about him and autopsies, Lor," Brian answered. "Doc's always focused when it comes to the dead, especially something big like this."

"Yes," Shelly agreed. "And while you're talking to Doc Paul, I'm going down to the theater and sniff around to see if anyone knows anything."

Brian stood up from his desk. "Perfect. Right now I have a potential client to talk to and then I'll go see Doc."

_Later:_

Two detectives had been grilling Ryan for the last few hours; the assistant repeated what had gone over the day up to the point of finding Lily's body and calling 911 after trying to revive her, to no avail.

Yes, Lily could be annoying, but Ryan had respected and liked the faded star, probably one of very few people who _had. _He had no reason to want her dead.

The detectives were about to question him again when they were interrupted.

"Questions stop right now, gentlemen," Brian announced when he was ushered into the interrogation room. "Mr. Buckingham, proceed no further."

Ryan stared at the short blond man carrying a briefcase. "I'm sorry, I don't know who you are. Are you the public defender they were supposed to get me?"

"No, sir," Brian answered, introducing himself. "In something like this, you need a real lawyer. And that would be me."

He then looked at the detectives. "Now if you two will excuse me, I'd like to have some time alone to confer with my client."

Both nodded curtly, exiting the room, allowing Brian to focus on his new client.

"Sir, I really can't afford an attorney," Ryan began in protest.

"We'll discuss that when the time is right," Brian said in a reassuring tone. "Now, do you want to tell me about your history with Ms. Schaad up to her death?"

Ryan nodded, going through the last eighteen months with Lily. She could be abrasive, but at the same time, he felt he'd had some rapport with the older woman "Turns out within the last several years, I've lasted the longest as her assistant," he added.

Brian took copious notes as the other man spoke before asking. "Ryan, does anyone come to mind that would want Lily dead?"

Ryan barely held in his emotions as he replied, "Sir, we could be here forever if I made a list. Ms. Schaad….Lily….wasn't exactly very popular behind the scenes, especially in her later years. I guess we got along fairly well because I was about the only one that would really take time to listen to her outside of her agent."

"Her agent?" Brian was now interested.

"Yes. Arthur Anders. I can give you his contact information if you like. He could give you more background on Lily than I can."

"I'd like that."

Ryan rattled off an address and two phone numbers, which Brian jotted down, making note to have Shelly talk to the agent.

"Your arraignment is in an hour," he informed his client. "We should be able to get you out of here. Meanwhile, I have a couple of calls and a visit to make."

Ryan nodded, smiling for the first time that day. "Thank you," he said gratefully. "Thanks for everything you're able to do for me."

_Ten minutes later:_

"Good, you couldn't have picked a better time to call in," Lori said.

"Why?" Brian asked. "What's going on?"

"Well, Shelly's one step ahead of you on your latest client," she answered. "Ryan Buckingham has a great credit record, is well thought of in his community, and no prior criminal record. Father is deceased, as Cinder told us, and the mother is in poor health herself. If that doesn't get him decent bond before a judge, nothing will."

"Ah, good, good. Was there something else?"

"Yes. I think you better have a heads up that Helen Krenn has done some digging too. Turns out Ryan is not only the heir in Lily Schaad's will, but also the sole beneficiary of her life insurance policy."

"Which gives her and the detectives on this case reason to believe Ryan had motive to kill the woman."

"Exactly my thought."

"I just talked to him, Lor, and I'm getting the same impression Cindy told us about earlier. I don't think he's capable of it. He talked about Lily far too affectionately. Someone who wanted her dead wouldn't talk like that. He was actually ready to break down a few times."

"That is strange. Oh, and you better get over to the ME's office straight away. Doctor Paul called about ten minutes ago saying he needed to talk to you."

"I'm on my way there right now," Brian reassured her. "And thanks for the heads up on Helen. I had a strange feeling she would be prosecuting this case."

"No problem, boss. I'll let you know if Cinder finds anything at the lab if I don't hear from you before then."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"All right, Doc, what was the urgency?" Brian asked when he walked into Paul's office.

"For one, guess you heard by now Krenn has been on my ass already," Paul answered. "She actually had the balls to tell me she wants the autopsy 'yesterday' and the victim here is barely been dead three hours. I don't know what she's looking for, but I have a feeling from what I've found so far, it isn't looking good for your client."

"What do you mean?"

"No doubt our lady here was indeed stabbed," Paul said. "The fatal wound punctured her lung, causing exsanguination, the fatal process of total hypovolemia."

"In English, Doc," Brian replied.

"She bled out," Paul clarified. "Profound blood loss. She'd been dead within a short period of time without medical intervention. I'd say by the time we arrived at the scene, Ms. Schaad was dead at least forty five minutes to an hour."

"Wait a minute," Brian said, remembering something. "The last time Ryan saw Lily alive had been forty five minutes before he discovered her body."

"Could anyone account for where he was when this happened?" Paul asked.

Brian shook his head. "That's just it. No one can. The only other person that could vouch for seeing him was Arthur Anders, and that was _after _it was noticed the victim was missing."

"Looks like you definitely have your work cut out for you, Counselor."

"Yeah, and hopefully when you're finished there, I can have some gaps filled. Meanwhile, I have an arraignment to get to. And unlike Helen, you can leave your report with Lori whenever you're finished, not 'yesterday'. Wish me luck on this one."

_A short time later:_

Brian had just barely pulled up to the courthouse parking lot when his phone rang. It had been Cinder.

"You want the bad news or worse news first?" she asked.

"This day can't get any more strange," he replied. "Let's start with the bad."

"The knife they found in the room where Lily Schaad was killed did indeed have her blood on it," Cinder informed him. "Now for the worse news; the fingerprints on the handle match Ryan's."

"On that note, he did say he picked it up when he found the victim," Brian responded.

"You may see it that way, and it could be the case, but the _State_ might not see it that way," Cinder said. "Has Doctor Paul done the autopsy yet?"

"He's working on her as we speak. Listen, see what else you find on that weapon. I don't care how good or bad it is, if you come up with something else, let me know, will you?"

Brian sighed and hung up, wondering what the hell was going to save this guy. Between what Paul had found so far and the result from the apparent weapon, it wasn't looking good for Ryan so far. He hoped the bail hearing would go better.

_In Courtroom 103:_

"I see we meet yet again, Brian," Helen Krenn said when he had come in before taking his place beside Ryan.

"Always a pleasure, Helen," he nodded curtly. "I hear you've already been on this one like white on rice."

"Case Number 174921," the clerk announced. "_State vs. Ryan Charles Buckingham_, charge of Murder in the Second Degree."

"How do you plead, young man?" the judge asked.

"Not guilty," Ryan replied firmly.

"Your Honor, given the charges and the case being a high profile matter, the State asks that the defendant be remanded without bail," Helen stated.

"Your Honor, my client has no history of violence, no prior criminal record, excellent ties to the community and is not a flight risk," Brian countered. "He has several people here today willing to assist in posting bond."

"And do what? Risk the chance of someone else being harmed because they annoyed the defendant? Granted the victim may not have been well-liked, but–"

The judge shook his head. "This isn't a popularity contest or your chance to be a glory hound for the media, Ms. Krenn. I see no reason to remand the defendant without bail. Bail is set at $250,000," he said, slamming down the gavel. "Next case."

"You should be out by this evening," Brian informed his client.

Ryan nodded gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

"We've won the battle," Brian replied. "Now we have to prepare to fight a war."

_A short time later:_

"Did you make any progress?" Lori asked when Shelly came back to the office.

"I will say this much," Shelly answered. "If the State is looking to barbecue Ryan on its personal spit based on character testimony, they won't get far. No one had a bad word to say about him. On the other hand, the reports on the victim weren't very glowing."

"Well, she had a reputation for being difficult, so that is understandable. Unfortunately, not many murder defendants are acquitted on character witnesses. It's what the evidence will show, as all of us well know."

"_Difficult _would be an understatement. Have you heard from the boss yet?"

Lori nodded. "He just checked in and on his way back. Ryan was granted bail and should be out by tonight."

"Nice to see at least _one _thing is going his way."

"Yes," Lori answered. "I'm guessing you saw Cindy's report too."

"I did. And we still have to go over the autopsy report from Doctor Paul once he finishes it, whenever that may be."

"Considering this is a high profile case, I'd like to guess he's making this priority number one. Still, I can't help but feel bad for the guy, especially since Cindy knows him and all."

"I wouldn't worry too much, Shell," Lori said. "We also all know by now that Brian manages to tap into something other people have never considered. I have a gut feeling things could make a sharp turn sometime in the near future. Let's just hope for Ryan's sake that it's in his favor."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_The following day:_

Paul had resumed work on the autopsy of Lily Schaad; with Helen breathing down his neck, it hadn't been an easy task since the actress' body had arrived at his morgue the afternoon before. He had x-rayed, measured, photographed, and documented every detail right down to the most minute, and now Paul had picked up where he had left off the evening before.

Meanwhile, while Cinder had gone back to the crime scene with another criminalist to examine the room where Lily had been discovered to gather yet more evidence (and her silently praying for something that _didn't_ implicate Ryan), Shelly and Brian had begun their own work of questioning every possible person they could find that had even the smallest connection with both Ryan and Lily.

They had found something interesting already when they interviewed Arthur Anders. The agent had been reluctant to discuss Ryan at first; he hadn't really known much about the younger man at first, being Lily didn't discuss her assistant with him very much, while it was almost legendary how she'd complain about her other help.

"Did you know about Ms. Schaad's will and insurance policy details?" Brian asked.

"Of course. Lily told me everything. I wasn't sure at first that she should have made the arrangements she had planned, but when it became clear that Ryan was clearly loyal to her without any motives and was trustworthy, I no longer had any reservations."

"Did you and Ryan cross paths often?" Shelly wondered

Arthur nodded. "He would often ask my advice on things about Lily's career or how to handle her in general. Of course, we did have one disagreement not long ago."

This piqued Brian's interest. "About what?"

"A fairly lucrative offer came in for Lily to do a reality show," Arthur replied. "I thought I had her convinced to at least give it a try, but Ryan had gotten it into her head that she was far above things like that and shouldn't lower herself; it wasn't like she was broke anyway. It was actually he who had told her about the play she was going to be doing."

"She took Ryan's advice over yours?" Brian raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, and I wasn't too thrilled, to say the least. Lily had been my client for the last forty years and suddenly she's listening to some kid whose old man ran some theater supply joint that went bust? Insane."

"So is there any chance of–" Shelly began before Arthur cut her off.

"No," he said firmly. "I know what you're thinking; dear lady, do you honestly think that I'd kill my best client and set up her assistant? Ridiculous. Ryan and I got past our disagreement when I saw the contract and what she was being offered for that part in the play. Turns out it would have benefited her _more _than the reality show in the long run. Lily doing this was bringing us all closer."

"Mr. Anders," Brian asked, "can you think of anyone that would want Ms. Schaad dead or at least out of the way for any reason at all?"

"Unfortunately, young man," Arthur sighed, "quite a lot of people would. Lily didn't get into this business to make friends, and she didn't really have many. As to answer you question, that would be quite a long list. But I can advise you to go over to the theater and dig around as to any and all people who were there yesterday."

Shelly looked at her boss, nodding. "That could be a start." She got up. "I'm headed back over there right now."

"Mr. Anders, thank you for your time," Brian said, handing him a card. "If you can think of anything else about Ryan or the case, give me a call any time."

"I can tell you one thing for sure," Arthur responded. "Whoever did do this to Lily, I can guarantee you it wasn't Ryan."

_Meanwhile_:

Paul knitted his eyebrows and made a face as he studied one of the fatal wounds on Lily's body. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him from working practically nonstop on her body, but then began looking closer at the wound that interested him the most.

He snapped off his gloves, tossing them in the trash can and removing his headgear before dialing the crime lab. Luckily, Cinder had answered on the second ring.

"Cindy," he began, "what were the details on that knife found at the scene of Lily Schaad's murder?"

"Four inch blade with a wooden handle. DNA confirmed the blood on it was the victim's."

"Right, there were some wounds made antemortem and postmortem with a weapon consistent with the knife your lab has," Paul said. "But the _fatal_ stab wounds don't line up with that."

"What are you saying?" Cinder asked. "That there could be a _second _weapon that was used?"

"It could be possible unless I'm going clinically insane here from working on this case. But the fatal wounds look like they could have been made with a larger knife that had a serrated blade."

"The knife we have doesn't have a serrated blade," Cinder said. "Doc, have you called Brian or the DA's office about this?"

"Not yet. I have a couple more tests in mind to see if my theory is right or not. This is the last case I want to screw up, and I sure as hell don't need on my conscience one of my possible mistakes ended up sending an innocent person to prison. Anyway, if by chance another weapon comes in, give me a call, would you?"

"You'll be first on the list, Doctor Paul," she said.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Are you sure that's what it is?" Brian asked, surprised and pleased to hear the latest development Paul had discovered.

"I wasn't at first, but when I got another look before I made a cast of the stab wound, I knew I wasn't completely crazy after all," Paul answered. "The cast model all but confirmed my suspected finding all along."

"This could really help the case. Question is, where is the second weapon presently and why were two different knives used?"

"I just work on the dead bodies, Counselor," Paul said. "It's up to people like you and the crime lab to answer the other questions. But yes, an eight inch knife with serrated blade was indeed the death weapon. Cindy is supposed to contact me if and when anything like it should come into her hands."

"Did you by any chance inform Helen of this illustrious news?" Brian wondered.

"I pretty much had no choice," Paul laughed. "And she's as puzzled about all this as you are, if not more so. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I just put a kink in her big murder case."

"Perhaps you did," Brian replied, smiling to himself. "But this is some big news. Keep me posted if Cindy finds out anything."

"Will do, my friend. Now I have to get the death certificate and report done so I can release this poor woman to be shipped back to Hollywood. Jesus, I never thought I'd be so happy in my life to go back to working on the every day dead person. Leave the celebrity deaths to the celebrity ME's. This one was one too many for me."

Brian chuckled as he hung up, only to be buzzed by Lori a few seconds later.

"Arthur Anders is on line one," she told him. "He says he may have something that pertains to Ryan's case."

"I'll take it," Brian said, wondering what the agent had in mind.

"Mr. Anders," he greeted once Lori had patched Arthur through. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just remembering something," Arthur replied. "There is a murder scene in the play that Lily was to be performing before her….unfortunate passing. I'm not sure how important this is, but prop knives were to be used in that scene."

Brian perked up at this information. "Do you have any idea what these props were to look like?"

"Yes. There was one that appeared rather large, with a cutting edge that had many small points of contact."

_Serrated blade. _Brian had remembered Paul's words from minutes earlier.

"And the other was smaller, kind of like a steak knife, only a little wider and bigger," Arthur continued.

Brian jotted this information down as quickly as Arthur had described it. "Mr. Anders," he asked the question out loud that he had been thinking, "is there any chance that these props could have been switched for actual knives?"

"I was just wondering that myself, young man. There were many people that had access to that prop room and the wardrobe areas, including the cast and backstage crew. I was wondering…….perhaps some of those people should be looked at?"

"I'm giving this information to my investigator, Mr. Anders. Thank you so much for this information. I think this will help us far more than you know."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Shelly returned to the theater once Brian had passed on the information he had gotten from Arthur Anders, as well as filled her in on his previous conversation with Paul. This new development more than piqued her interest, and she pounced onto it right away.

She had interviewed everyone from the play's director, the props manager, wardrobe director, makeup artists and hairdressers, even the person in charge of Lily's dressing room, before moving on to the rest of the play's cast.

Nothing had seemed to stand out until Shelly eventually interviewed Lana Tillis, Lily's understudy. There had been something about the woman that bothered Shelly, though she wasn't sure what, especially when Lana wasn't thrilled about discussing the case to begin with, whereas everyone else had been so forthcoming with what they knew (and didn't know for sure, but they thought would help Shelly nevertheless).

When she left the theater, Shelly did a little more digging on each cast member. Nothing had stood out in her search, even on Lana–as much as the actress' demeanor had bothered Shelly–until she had come across another profile.

Seeing this information, she called back to the office, only to find Brian had gone out to lunch. She left a message with Lori before calling the crime lab.

"Oh good, I could use a lunch partner," Cinder said cheerfully. "What's up?"

Shelly told her about the new developments. "I found something else during a search and needed someone to bounce off a couple of theories."

"Didn't you call Brian?"

"Yeah, but he's already out of the office. I passed the message to Lori to have him call me as soon as possible when he gets back."

"Oh, well, I could use a challenge myself. Think you're up to a side trip to the ME's office?"

Shelly cringed a little. "Not so sure about that."

"Don't worry, Doc Paul put away the bodies and Lily's was released this morning. He has something he wants to show me concerning on of the fatal wounds and I thought you'd be interested in this as well."

Shelly perked up. "In that case, count me in."

_Meanwhile:_

Paul studied the cast of the one of the fatal knife wounds he had made from Lily's body before photographing it and then completed his report on Lily's autopsy.

It was finally quiet in the morgue; her body had been released hours before and he could finally get everything together to send to both the detectives on the case and to Helen Krenn.

_Three more people off my ass, _Paul thought. _If I never have another case like this again, it will be too soon for me._

He had just completed the report and faxed a copy to the DA's office when a slight tap came on the office door. Looking up, Paul was pleased to see Cinder with Shelly in tow.

"Hello, darlin'," he greeted Cinder with his slight Texas accent. "I see you brought company. It isn't often I get beautiful ladies in my domain that are actually _breathing."_

They both laughed; even in such a morbid occupation, Paul managed to keep a sense of humor.

"So what's this you wanted to show me?" Cinder asked.

"Glad you brought Shelly along," Paul nodded, picking up both the knife wound cast, now sealed in an evidence bag, and a few autopsy photos. "This is what I was discussing with you on the phone about the fatal stab wounds."

Shelly's eyes averted from the photos, but carefully studied the cast with Cinder. "That was definitely not made with the knife we have back at the lab," Cinder said firmly.

Shelly nodded in agreement. "Absolutely, and we didn't need to be experts to know that."

"A copy of all of these went to the detectives and Helen Krenn right before you arrived," Paul said. "I was just about to send this information over to Brian's office too. You know, rights of discovery and all that bullshit."

"You didn't by any chance….." Shelly began before he cut her off.

"No," Paul replied. "I made a specific note to all parties to keep this out of the media. That way, there won't be a bunch of weirdos coming forward all of the sudden with false confessions just to get their fifteen minutes of fame; hence, it should be easier to find the actual killer."

"First we have to find the actual weapon," Cinder pointed out.

"That too," Paul nodded. "And how much you want to bet either the killer still has it somewhere or it got disposed after the murder to throw off the investigation? Maybe the killer thought all stab wounds looked alike and could get away with this."

"Come to think of it," Cinder said, "it is pretty odd to leave one knife behind while taking the other."

"Sounds to me like someone was indeed trying to set up Ryan," Shelly replied. "Think about it; the placement of the knife at the scene where Ryan could easily find it, hence his picking it up. Most people would have left a weapon _beside_ the body, not some distance away from it."

"Or they would have taken away both weapons," Cinder added.

"You two are too smart for your own good," Paul grinned at them, handing Shelly his reports. "Take these back to the boss and let him know he can't say I never gave him anything."


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Brian studied the items Paul had sent over with Shelly for a long time, lost deep in thought. He had still been looking it over when Lori brought him a mug of fresh coffee.

"You know, if you stare at that stuff long enough, it will jump out and bite you," she teased.

"Just when I think this case can't get any more fascinating, somebody comes up with something else."

She tapped at the photo of the knife wound cast. "What's this?"

"Paul made a cast of the wounds that killed Ms. Schaad. It's a pattern of the weapon that may have been used."

"The allegedly missing knife?" Lori guessed.

"Yes."

"This is getting interesting. What doesn't make sense, though, is why someone would use two knives, yet take only one away from the crime scene."

"Exactly," Brian nodded. "That and what Shelly pointed out where the knife that was left behind had been placed right after the murder. Either the killer dropped it on their way out, or more than likely, it was put where Ryan could find it, knowing he'd probably pick it up."

"But his prints were the only ones on that weapon," Lori reminded him.

"Which means, when Cindy took a closer look at it awhile ago, someone could have wiped their prints or wore gloves, hence why only Ryan's showed up."

"And someone wanted to set up Ryan? Who and why?"

"Who is anyone's guess at this point, which is why Shelly is doing more digging for me. Why is clearly obvious. Someone hated Lily Schaad enough to kill her, but made it look like Ryan did it to get the proceeds of her life insurance and his inheritance, which, by the way, Ryan knew about neither until after her death."

"Who else would have known?"

"Only person I can think of is Arthur Anders, and he had an alibi. Plus the man is way too smart to want his top client dead, not to mention he's close with Ryan."

"Wait," Lori said. "Who was Lily Schaad's attorney? She would have to have someone to draw up a will."

"Way ahead of you, my dear. I had Shelly check on that as well. I'm not sure how much it will weigh in this case, but it is a good start. We only have a short time left until Ryan's trial, so it's better to cover too many bases than not enough. And God only knows what Helen Krenn has up her sleeve. We need to be prepared in any and all aspects."


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_One month later-the trial:_

_State vs. Buckingham _opened on a warm morning to a crowded, noisy courtroom. There were the usual supporters on each side of the room–though those for the victim had been sparse in contrast to those that turned out to support Ryan–along with the attorneys, court watchers, and the media.

TruTV was also covering the trial, something that had both warmed Helen Krenn and annoyed Brian. He had no interest in being a 'celebrity lawyer', but now that he was going to be on a national court network, he was unwittingly being thrust into the spotlight anyway.

It hadn't helped that Lori teased him mercilessly that morning. "Look at it like this, maybe you'll find a nice girl who spots you on TV."

"Then you can defend Ryan," he had replied, not amused. "If I wanted to find a date, there's better ways. And most women want tall, dark Adonis types, not short, small town blond men like me."

"I still say you'd be a fine catch for someone," Lori reassured him.

"Let's just concentrate on this trial," Brian sighed.

"Good luck," she said. "I'll be heading back to the office if you need me for anything."

Ryan had arrived slightly early, dressed in a somber dark suit and tie with a white shirt. Brian had nodded in approval, noting how both low key and approachable his client had appeared.

Arthur Anders had also greeted them outside the courtroom; the agent wouldn't be allowed in the gallery until he'd given his testimony as a witness for the defense.

"Just so you know," he informed Brian, "the prosecution may call me as a hostile witness."

"I'm well aware, Mr. Anders. Just do the best you can."

Soon, all parties were settled in as the baliff announced the judge presiding over the trial. To Brian's relief, he had been notified not long ago that it would be the same judge that had been at Ryan's arraignment. Judge Joseph Durkin was both tough and fair, favoring no one.

Helen had begun her opening argument, going over the evidence that the State held. When she had finished, it had been Brian's turn.

Ryan studied the activity before him, not failing to notice that even though the jurors and most of the gallery had appeared stoic during Helen's opening argument, they now seemed fascinated by the small, blond defense attorney with the big voice who spoke convincingly during his opening argument.

"I wonder if he's single," one young woman in the gallery whispered to another.

Shelly, who had been sitting in front of them, turned around and smiled. "As a matter of fact, he is."

_Later that day:_

The trial hadn't been earth-shattering thus far; it had been only a parade of the usual detectives and expert witnesses. By lunch, everyone had seemed somewhat relieved for the break from the long, tiresome drone.

Ryan had freshened up in the restroom before joining Brian and Shelly for lunch. Brian had checked back at the office for any calls, which there was, but they were either media requests or things that didn't have much priority. Brian would tend to all of them later.

"What's this about Helen having a surprise witness?" Shelly asked.

"Not much of surprise since I know about it," Brian said, munching on a burger. "The girl is actually both the daughter of the attorney who handled Ms. Schaad's business affairs and one of the cast members in the play. She'll probably not offer much more than the others had so far."

"When is Doc up?" Shelly wondered.

"Probably not until tomorrow," Brian replied.

They then spotted Cinder, who had just come into the door. Shelly motioned her over.

"Hey, all," Cinder said. "Sorry about this morning. I didn't want to say anything about you-know-what yet."

"Just doing your job," Brian grinned. "No more than you usually do at any trial."

"How exactly…is this thing going so far?" Ryan asked hesitantly.

"Hard to tell," Brian answered. "I'd say it is about fifty fifty right now, but this is just the first day. I'm sure things will get a little more interesting from here."

_Day Two:_

As scheduled, the trial resumed the following morning. Both jury and gallery members looked bored at expert testimonies wore on; this time, a parade of Lily's former employees testified, not painting a flattering picture of working for the late actress.

Finally, it was Arthur's turn. He testified about his years with Lily, up to the last day of her life. He also went over his history with Ryan, including the initial disagreement over the reality show offer (which Brian had gotten him to reveal, getting a jump start over Helen), and their interaction on that last day of play rehearsals. Amazingly, he had stood up blow by blow during cross examination by Helen.

It had been the afternoon session before Paul took the stand

Now in the gallery, Arthur was utterly fascinated as the Chief Medical Examiner testified, wondering why the hell this kid wasn't on television, when Paul revealed the _coup de grace: _the second knife theory.

"Doctor," Brian said, holding up the evidence bag containing the cast of Lily Schaad's wounds in question, "could you specify what kind of weapon could have made these?"

Paul nodded, going into exactly what type of knife made them, adding those had been the wounds that were fatal.

"Not the knife found at the crime scene that my client allegedly had in his possession at one point?"

"No," Paul said firmly. "That knife made antemortem wounds that wouldn't have been fatal at all, and some postmortem wounds after death."

"Thank you, Doctor," Brian nodded. "Nothing further."

The look on Ryan's face said it all, and it hadn't been lost on the jury. He had known nothing about a second knife.

_How could he have committed such a heinous crime if he had no prior knowledge of this information? _they wondered.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_Day Three:_

Prop manager Alicia Riley took the stand, testifying about the inventory of props that were to be used in the play in which Lily would have been starring.

"Props such as mock weapons are locked up," she said firmly when Helen questioned her, "They are usually signed out when used for rehearsing specific scenes and then promptly returned afterward."

Helen showed her a sheet of paper. "Is this the form that has to be signed when removing such props?" she asked.

Alicia nodded. "Yes. That is my assistant's signature when the items were signed out and mine when they were returned."

"So you personally saw these prop knives returned?"

"I did," Alicia replied.

"And there wouldn't have been a chance for anything to be 'switched' during that time you were in that room?"

"Absolutely not. They would have been locked in the cabinet immediately."

"Thank you, Miss Riley." She turned to Brian. "Your witness."

Brian got out of his chair slowly, weighing his words. "Miss Riley, you stated you had an assistant on the day in question?"

"Yes."

"Is that person still your assistant?"

"No. Cassandra was an intern and her assignment ended the day after Ms. Schaad….died."

"Besides you, is there anyone who has a key to the cabinet where the prop weapons are kept?"

"Cass did, but she turned it in that day when her shift ended. I really don't know anyone else except maybe the theater director."

"Was your intern out of your sight any time the day Ms. Schaad was murdered?"

"No, we were working together practically that whole day."

"Why I asked you that, Miss Riley," Brian said, ready to drop another bomb, "is that there are two people here today ready to testify that the intern working under you was not anywhere in the facility about an hour and a half _after_ she had signed that sheet as a witness that those knife props were checked out. As a matter of fact, Cassandra Harmon was not seen again until shortly after the victim's body had been removed and Mr. Buckingham was taken into custody being charged with her murder."

"Wait…." Alicia began. "There was a time frame where Cass told me she had to go on an errand, but didn't specify what it was."

"Did she give you her copy of the prop cabinet key before she left at that time?"

"No."

"No further questions," Brian concluded.

_Meanwhile:_

"This is getting more bizarre as it goes on," Lori said softly as she watched the trial coverage on the small TV in Brian's office. "Do you think the intern may have had a hand in all of this?"

"I would think so," Shelly nodded. "She was the only other person with a key to the prop cabinet, she was unaccounted for from the time those props were signed out until Lily Schaad was discovered and Ryan arrested. The question remains, though, if she _was_ responsible for the murder, what was her motive?"

"Isn't that part of your job to find that out?" Lori asked with a smile.

"I made the effort and it still raises more questions than answers."

"Well, no matter how strange this trial is getting," Lori replied, "going on his track record, Brian's bound to dig up something on his own if he hasn't already."

_Later that morning:_

A yellow school bus pulled in front of the courthouse where jurors, attorneys for both sides, Judge Durkin, and Ryan boarded before heading to the theater to study the room where Lily had been found. Both Helen and Brian walked the jury through the entire space, outlining their own findings.

The jurors then examined the prop cabinet in question, both locked and unlocked, its contents inside, and then the spot where Lily's body had been found.

Back in the courthouse two hours later, Helen called the play's director, who, like many others the first two previous days, had outlined Lily's difficult behavior. He added that there had been a period of time where Ryan hadn't been seen by anyone.

Brian once again pounced when it was his turn for questioning. "Mr. Gibson," he began, "is it not true that you told the detectives working on this case that you'd seen Mr. Buckingham going to Ms. Schaad's dressing room at one point?"

"I did."

"And that your assistant director stated that she saw my client speaking briefly to Arthur Anders shortly before the victim was found?"

"Of course."

"And did you not tell someone from my office that you saw my client _nowhere_ near the prop room until he discovered the victim's body?"

"I recall something along those lines."

"Then sir, how you can that Mr. Buckingham was not seen by anyone before Ms. Schaad was found dead?"

"I really have no answer."

"Nothing further, Your Honor."

Judge Durkin pounded his gavel, announcing the lunch break. "Court will reconvene at one thirty," he announced.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Just when I think you've pulled about everything out of your hat, you come up with something else," Lori said when Brian called in for his messages over the lunch break. "How did you know about situation with the intern?"

"Shell and I have a magical way of digging up things and filling in the blanks," Brian replied. "You should have seen the look on Helen's face after I cross examined those last two witnesses."

"How is Ryan holding up?" she asked.

"Considering the circumstances, he's doing great. I think he may get even better now that things seem to be shifting in our direction a bit."

"Ah, speaking of which, you may want to get hold of Doctor Paul. He found something else on the autopsy photos that was missed the first time."

Brian perked up. "Really?"

"Yes, and I think from what he's found, it may drive home the actual suspect you've been thinking all along."

"Lori, I think I love you. I'll do better than that; I'll head over to Paul's office right now."

_About twenty minutes later:_

"Minute glitter specks?" Brian asked when Paul pointed out the spot on a photo.

The ME nodded. "I thought the first few times it was just dust or something on the picture, but when I magnified it, it was indeed some kind of theatrical shiny stuff. How I missed it during the autopsy is anyone's guess, but then county supplied lighting isn't exactly the best in here anyway."

"This could make a difference."

"Which is why I called you," Paul replied. "I also took the liberty of checking with the makeup people working that specific play and they all told me that Lily Schaad's character wouldn't have had that on her for her role. Also, taking into consideration where it was only found in a couple of spots on the body, it's more of a transfer pattern, likely from our killer."

"And we know Ryan wasn't wearing theater glitter," Brian nodded.

"Exactly," Paul agreed. "Another reason I wanted you to see this."

"You know you're probably going to be recalled to the stand," Brian pointed out.

"My suit is hanging in my office," Paul grinned.

"Have it ready," Brian grinned back. "I think I may have my rebuttal witness. Closing arguments are scheduled for tomorrow morning, but I need one more hat trick before then. Nice to know I can count on you as usual, Doc."

_Later:_

"What did Doc want?" Shelly asked when they had returned to the courtroom after lunch.

"There's been a new development," Brian answered. "I can't totally go into it yet, but let's say it's going to be a big help to our case."

"Is that good?" Ryan wondered.

"Better than you'll ever imagine," Brian smiled at his client before the judge entered the room, announcing the resume of the trial.

A re-enactment of the actual murder was done for the jurors, using one of the female deputies that had been about the same height and size as Lily had been. Ryan was also summoned to walk through his version of events from finding Lily's body to inadvertently picking up the knife that had been found several inches from her.

Next, a witness that had been working backstage testified that he had seen Ryan "wandering aimlessly" during rehearsals up until Lily had been discovered. He had also described Ryan's demeanor as "flat."

Once again, Brian pounced.

"When Mr. Buckingham was 'wandering aimlessly', sir, could there have been a chance he had been searching for Ms. Schaad when she wasn't present at the rehearsal?"

"It could be possible….."

"As for my client's 'flat demeanor', isn't it a fact that he was in shock upon discovering her body and the fact he couldn't revive her?"

"Perhaps…"

"Were you not present when Mr. Buckingham was interviewed by detectives and appeared upset before being taken into custody about Ms. Schaad's death?"

"I was…maybe standing about a foot or two away, but I could hear some of their conversation, yes."

"Sir, did you see someone else go into the room where the victim was eventually found before you saw my client?"

"Yes, about one or two women. There was the prop room intern for sure and I think one of the other cast members. Ryan went in there…maybe twenty minutes later."

"Nothing further, Your Honor," Brian concluded.

Across the aisle, Helen Krenn blanched. _What else did Brian have up his sleeve?_

_The final day:_

Helen had given a strong closing argument, citing that Ryan's motives had been greed and the fact he'd wanted to dispose of a diva-esque, annoying employer, but couldn't do so in the traditional manner because it meant losing his inheritance from Lily Schaad as well as his family being practically destitute. She also outlined the State's evidence, going over the testimony of key expert witnesses before her argument was completed by mid-morning.

It was now Brian's turn; he reviewed the defense's own evidence, including the earlier testimony from Paul and the knife wounds, reminding the jury that there were indeed _two _weapons used in Lily Schaad's murder, yet only one had been found at the scene.

After the lunch break, it had been time for rebuttals. Brian called Paul back to the stand, who had relayed to the court his finding that he had shown Brian the day before. This perked up the jury's interest as Paul pointed out the spots in question on an enlarged screen.

Helen wasn't too worried; she too had her own ace–or so she had initially thought.

Callie Proctor had not only been the daughter of the attorney who had handled Lily's business affairs, but had also been the second understudy to Lily in the show. She had had many lead and major roles in the past, but now in addition to the second understudy position, she'd also had a smaller role in the play.

Callie testified she had seen Ryan going into the room in question only moments after she had gone to return props to Cassandra Harmon.

Brian had listened with interest, not taking his eyes off the young actress. Once Helen had finished with the girl, it was time for the moment of truth.

"Miss Proctor," he began, "could you tell the court about your role in the play in more specific detail?"

"Of course," she replied, going into details.

"At one point in the show, your character wore a substance with some fine glittery material?"

Callie nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Miss Proctor," Brian continued, ready to pull out the final stop, "before Lily Schaad was signed, were you not slated to play the lead role that was given to her and Lana Tillis would remain the first understudy?"

Callie looked down. "Yes. I was pushed aside for a _older_ actress, some Hollywood has been at that!"

"And that made you angry, didn't it?"

"I was greatly upset, yes. I was promised that role!"

"So, you were angry. You plot with Cassandra Harmon, who you knew had a spare key to the prop cabinet, knowing that Alicia Riley would be out that afternoon when you were supposed to return the prop weapons. But…Miss Harmon, who happened to also be an old college friend of yours, agreed to help in your little caper. She'd already switched the knives for actual ones."

"No, I…." Callie began.

"You see Lily Schaad go past room on her way to wardrobe and summon her in on some false pretense," Brian continued. "You now have those weapons in hand, no one else is around, or so you think, and this was your opportunity to eliminate your competition once and for all. But it turns out Lily Schaad doesn't go down easy. You have your glittery makeup on and some of it rubbed off on her in the struggle. You stab her with the smaller knife, but it isn't enough to kill her, so out came the bigger one."

Callie was trapped. "But…"

"Then it wasn't enough that she was dead, you make two more marks with the first knife just to drive your point home that if you couldn't have that prime role, nobody could. You grabbed the knives up to leave the room, but you dropped the first one on the way out. Lo and behold, my client comes along long after the victim bled to death, and he gets the rap for her murder. You think now you're in the clear; your competition is permanently eliminated and her assistant goes down for her death. But see, Miss Proctor, what you weren't counting on was the sharp eye of the Chief Medical Examiner as well as a witness that saw both you and Miss Harmon in that room long _before_ Mr. Buckingham went in there to search for his employer."

Ryan could only stare at his attorney in amazement as Brian finally asked. "It was you that killed Lily Schaad, wasn't it, Miss Proctor? Not only did you want that role so bad you'd literally kill for it, but you were the only other person outside of your father and Arthur Anders to know who the beneficiary of her estate was, am I right?"

She was cornered for sure. "Yes."

"No further questions."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Jury's back," the bailiff announced the following morning when the jury had been previously dismissed to begin deliberations.

Brian looked at the clock. "Already? They've only been out twenty minutes." He turned and smiled at Ryan. "This could be a good thing."

The courtroom had been packed more than usual on this day and TruTV had been covering every step.

As much as he tried to duck the cameras and avoid as much exposure as possible, somehow Brian still ended up on the front page of the cable network's website. His life as he had known it prior to defending Ryan was all but over.

The jurors filed back in, a few smiling in Ryan's direction, before being seated.

"Have you reached a verdict?" Judge Durkin asked.

The foreman rose. "We have, Your Honor."

"Could you hand the verdict to the bailiff please?"

The foreman done as requested; the courtroom went into a total hush of anticipation as Judge Durkin read the slip before prompting the foreman once again. "How do you find the defendant?"

"We the jury, in the case of _State vs. Buckingham, _on the charge of Murder in the Second Degree, find the defendant, Ryan Buckingham, not guilty."

The gallery broke out in loud applause and cries. In any other circumstance, Judge Durkin would have required order, but today was different. Everyone had gone through enough; let their emotions out on this day.

"The defendant is excused. Good luck to you, Mr. Buckingham," the judge said, pounding his gavel.

The trial was finally over

Ryan was elated. He had turned to Brian and his staff. "Thank you. Thank all of you for hard work," he said with a broad smile.

"Just another day at the office," Brian grinned back at him.

Arthur came up and hugged Ryan. "I knew I was right all along," the agent nodded.

"Thank you for believing in me, Arthur," Ryan replied.

"I had no reason not to," Arthur said. "And if Lily was here right now, she would be in agreement with me."

"Ryan," Brian interjected, "today is the first day of your new life. It's time you left this courthouse and started enjoying it as a free man."

"Absolutely," Arthur responded, "and I would like to be part of that by taking all of you to dinner to celebrate your victory."

"Give me a few minutes," Brian said. "Then I will be more than honored to take you up on your offer, Mr. Anders."

"Young man," the agent scolded, "as the person that helped clear Ryan's name, the other thing you can at least do is call me Arthur."

The others laughed as Brian nodded. "Certainly…._Arthur."_

_A short time later:_

As everyone was gathering up their things to leave, Helen Krenn came over to where Brian still remained.

"Looks like another win on your resume," she said. "Your acquittal record is getting quite strong."

"It's all in finding the missing pieces, Helen," Brian answered.

"Yes, and I guess our Chief Medical Examiner isn't as scatter brained as I'd thought."

"Considering you and your stuffed shirt of a boss have been on the mayor's ass for how long to get Doc fired or at least demoted, I'm sure he'd be happy to hear that one. You know, if you two spent some time down there instead of behind a desk, you'd be amazed how thorough Paul _really_ is."

"I will keep that in mind. Are you free for coffee?"

"I'll take a rain check," Brian said, "I've already made dinner plans."

"Brian!" Lori called in. "There's some lady from TruTV that wants to put you on the air about the verdict."

He gave an annoyed sigh and looked at Helen. "What happened to the days when trials were covered the day _after _the verdict came in?"

"Welcome to modern day trial coverage," Helen said. "Once again, congratulations."

"Yeah," Brian smiled at her. "Better luck next time, huh?"

"With you at the defense table? I think from herein, I'm going to need more than luck." Helen chuckled, and then gave a wink. "Until the next trial."

Brian winked back. "It's a date."


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Ryan's trial had made headlines all over the country, and his acquittal had become big news for weeks to come. It seemed he had gone in a matter of a short time to the little-known assistant to the late Lily Schaad to somewhat of a celebrity in his own right, and once the money from Lily's estate and insurance were released, he was also a considerably wealthy man.

Weeks after the trial had ended, he had made the talk show circuit, gave interviews to prominent magazines, and spoke at various schools. He also had more than his share of invitations from young women, something Ryan had never had much luck with before, due mostly to his alliance to Lily.

Ryan hadn't forgotten about Lily and never would. He not only had used some of the proceeds from his inheritance to set up a theatrical scholarship fund in Lily's name at an inner-city high school, but also petitioned to have the theater where she had met her unfortunate death re-named for her. The city and theater committee, of course, eventually complied.

Much as he had initially despised the idea, Brian had become a "celebrity lawyer," being placed along the lines of Racehorse Haynes and Melvin Belli. As a result, he started getting better cases with defendants that could pay the fees (and then some).

He had also given both Shelly and Lori healthy raises, much to their pleasant surprise. Brian had also splurged for a much-needed new car for Shelly, and a tasteful gold and diamond necklace for Lori.

"You were both loyal when things weren't so great," he said. "Now I think it's time for that loyalty to pay off."

Nevertheless, in spite of his now-heightened status, Brian continued to take the occasional pro bono case; for every well to do client, there was a Penny Crawford or Ryan Buckingham out there needing good representation, and Brian was more than happy to still give it.

About a month after Ryan's trial ended, Brian had come into the office. As his usual routine, he stopped at Lori's desk to collect his mail and messages.

"Any mail?" he asked, as usual.

After handing over the phone message slips, she began to giggle.

"What? Where's the mail?" Brian pressed.

"Shell, could you get that other box out of the room?" Lori called.

"Box? Lori, what the hell–"

She plopped a box on the desk as Shelly carried out a second one, dropping it beside the first.

"Your fan mail," Lori smiled. "You may want to get that autograph hand ready."

"Oh," Shelly added, "this also came for you." She handed Brian a manila envelope.

He pulled the contents from it, studying them. "It's from Ryan."

"Ryan?" Lori smiled. "And what is he up to these days?"

"He just made a donation to the children's hospital in my firm's name." Brian showed them the contents he'd been reading.

"That's very generous," Shelly said.

"Yes. I've gotten 'thank you' things from clients before, but this has to be the most touching. How Ryan found out they needed a new wing at the hospital is beyond me, but now I guess they will finally get it."

Lori then tapped one of the boxes of letters. "And now all you need to do is go through all of these," she replied in a teasing demeanor. "Your future wife may be in these boxes somewhere."

"You two never give up, do you?" Brian shook his head, taking the boxes back to his office.

"Like we ever will," Lori answered with a grin as she saw her boss close the door.

Shelly also stared toward the door. "You ever wonder why he never dated much?"

"Besides being a workaholic, especially these days? Not really. But contrary to his own belief, there are plenty of nice women out there that would give their eyeteeth for him. It's just finding someone that is willing to both understand and tolerate his weird side."

"I think he may already have," Shelly answered.

"Since when?" Lori looked puzzled.

"You know, I didn't want to say anything for a long time, but I think the other reason the boss is holding out on the dating thing is that the very strong possibility exists that he's very much into someone right in this office." Shelly gave her a knowing look.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Shelly."

"Think about it. There's not only the necklace he gave you recently, but there aren't many of his colleagues that confide in their secretaries about cases that aren't so important, let alone the critical ones. I've seen the rapport you and Brian have."

"We've become good friends," Lori nodded.

"I think it could go deeper than that," Shelly nodded. "And something tells me I may be right one of these days."


	16. Chapter 15 CONCLUSION

**Chapter 15 - CONCLUSION**

"Why does Brian want to take me on this talk show?" Lori asked one afternoon. "Any other time, he wants someone here at the office for when calls come in or someone is interested in representation. What's with the change of heart now?"

"Maybe he misses you sometimes," Cinder offered.

"Not _that _much," Lori replied with a laugh. "Sometimes I think we drive each other nuts."

"But you're going, right?" Paul asked.

"Do I have a choice? It's already been determined that Shelly is going to hold down the fort while we're gone."

"I've even got the phones down to a science," Shelly grinned. "You better go after I went through all that trouble."

"I think Shell's going to make a good temp secretary," Paul nodded.

"Why do I have the feeling you know something you're not telling, Doc?" Lori asked.

"I'm sworn to secrecy," he replied. "One word out of me, and I won't be working on dead bodies, I'll _become _one."

"Oh this has to be big if Brian's keeping something under wraps," Cinder said, excited. "Come on, Doc, just a hint?"

"Nope," Paul shook his head. "Sorry, ladies."

"This better not be one of your practical jokes you two set up." Lori warned, "or so help me, _both _of you will live to regret it."

"Don't worry about that," Paul said. "I think this will be something you never saw coming and it will make you quite happy at the same time."

"Speaking of things big," Shelly cut in. "What is this about Arthur Anders having interest in you?"

"Oh, that got out?" Paul asked, feigning surprise. "Well, he kind of spotted me while I was testifying at Ryan's trial and informed me that he had received an offer to find an unknown to host a show about….ta da!…medical examiners!"

"And you _accepted? _The one that craves privacy and obscurity?" Lori asked.

"It was right up my alley of expertise and the money's good," he protested. "Arthur's working out all the details as we speak."

"Hmm…this should be fascinating. Who would have thought that one murder trial would spark so many changes?" Cinder asked thoughtfully.

"And there's more to come," Paul said knowingly, winking.

_A few days later:_

"Hey, Cindy, flip the TV on Channel 12!" Shelly called. "Brian's coming on next!"

"I'm surprised he has anything left to say about Ryan's trial," Cinder said. "The thing's been over now, what, a month?"

"Come on; people still talk about the OJ trial and how many years has that been over?" Shelly responded. "Besides, Doctor Paul knows something and I want to see what he's been hiding from us too."

"Oh, that's right! Come to think of it, any theories on what Brian told that goofball to keep under wraps?"

"Well it isn't the show Arthur got him to host, that much we know for sure. I know he and Brian go way back, so it has to be something major."

"I guess we'll find out in a few minutes, huh?"

"Yes," Shelly nodded. "And I can hardly wait!"

_Meanwhile, at on the talk show set:_

It had started out with the usual question and answer session with Brian and the host; Lori had sat beside him quietly. It had been the first time she had been seen publicly outside of the usual norm.

During the commercial break, Brian had disappeared for a few moments; Lori figured amusingly that he had gone on a bathroom run, which he seemed to do a great deal during TV appearances.

But when he had returned only moments before they were back on the air, she noticed that Brian had a knowing grin on his face.

"You brought your secretary here with you today," the host said. "You have a surprise for our viewers?"

Brian nodded and smiled. "I certainly do, and the dear lady that accompanied me today is part of that."

With that, he stood up and pulled something out of his pocket. Brian then got down on one knee and………

_At the same time:_

"Oh my God!" Cinder cried. "I don't believe it!"

"I knew he had a secret thing for Lor," Shelly nodded excitedly, "but I didn't think he was _this _far gone."

"I think her getting the necklace after Ryan's trial should have been a tip off."

"Thank goodness for him that she accepted, huh?"

"Yeah," Cinder laughed. "Now we have a wedding to plan when they get back!"


End file.
